Back in August I told you about Chatter opening her own Etsy Shop – Apothecopie. This is what she had to say about it:
“I started making soap as a hobby, but after researching skincare products as a whole I was shocked and saddened by the chemicals that are used. I decided to raid my cabinets and get rid of all the harmful products and gradually replace them with all-natural products. I quickly learned that all-natural products purchased at retail stores are expensive and in fact most of the time are not really all-natural. I decided I would start making my own all-natural products. My goal is to make simple skincare products, therefore keeping the price down and ensuring my products can be available to a wider audience. To me all-natural does not mean a bunch of fancy ingredients, it means simple recipes using quality materials. I believe that since our skin is our largest organ we can improve our health by simply being aware of what we put on it.”
A few folks have asked about the name of the shop. The name is a play on the words Apothecary and Copie. The first cell phone Chitter had would change Chatter (Corie’s) name to Copie when she tried to text it. After a while Chitter started calling Corie Copie. She did it so often that she got the rest of us to calling her Copie too-even Pap and Granny took to calling her Copie.
Chatter’s shop has been doing very well and a few local stores, including Mountain Valley Bakery & Gift Shop (also called Brasstown General Store), have stocked her products.
Chatter graciously donated a bar of soap and a handmade wash cloth for me to giveaway as part of my Thankful November series. *Giveaway ends Friday December 2, 2016
If you’d like to jump over and visit Chatter’s Apothecopie Etsy Shop go here.
Tipper
Livin’ in the mountains is so grand; you get to try things like gatherin’ stuff outta th’ woods and making soap without those flatland city folks lookin’ at ya funny and wonderin’ If you’re right in the head…
I’ve watched those girls growin’ up for so long that I feel like they’re my nieces or some kind of kin, I’ve enjoyed their musical abilities and I would dearly love to try a bar of Chatter’s made-by-hand soap.
Part of MS is your system changes. I have a horrible time finding soap I can use. This looks good! I also have a very red headed Granddaughter.
Love homemade and natural products!
Chatter – if you figure out how to concentrate natural essences in a home kitchen I’d love to know the secret. I think I posted before that for years I have toyed with the idea of a small-capacity still to separate and concentrate natural flavors or oils. But of course it is more complex than just boiling water because it depends on the evaporation temperature of the specific ingredient. It sure would be nice if there were an encyclopedia that spelled it out plant by plant. But that is a lot to hope for. I suppose the fragrance industry knows some of it but they don’t use native ingredients much and I expect any such information is secret.
Best of success to you. I hope you hit upon a unique Appalachian formulation that only you will have. I think the whole subject of natural dyes and flavoring oils is intriguing. You are continuing the folkway of making money from collections in nature.
I remember when my mother would render lard after we butchered a hog and turn it into lye soap. I agree that it’s a shame it’s so hard to find soap, toothpaste, etc. that are not full of chemicals. Apothecopie is a great idea!
Homemade lye soap is the best for getting out stains. Good luck to Chatter. I use to make soap as gifts for family and friends.
I think it is wonderful that Chatter has embarked on this venture of natural skincare products! You go girl!!!
Pam
scrap-n-sewgranny.blogspot.com
I love to see a natural choice for skin care!
Tipper,
In all my concern this morning about the mountains on fire, I completely forgot about saying something about Chatter’s shop. I think I mentioned it before when she just started making her soaps.
As she finds and explores more of our mountain herbs she can use that are healing, she will find more soaps, healing salves and balms she can add to her shop. I think she is very smart in her decision to make her own products and share with others. There are so many chemicals and dyes that are not easy for sensitive skin and are probably damaging to the skin as well.
As always I wish success on her adventure.
All that I was thinking about was the song that the Blind Pig and Gang sings, when I first heard of how bad the fire was getting. “The Mountains Burned With Fire”! I listened into the wee hours of the morning how dangerous it was and that a evacuation was in force for the Gatlinburg area.
50,000 acres of our mountains burned. At least 12 injured and now 3 deaths. So very sad!
Thanks Tipper,
Ed-she doesnt have anything like that-but Ill suggest she try to make some : )
Dolores-thank you for the comment! Yes she made the wash/dish cloth too : )
SuzyJ-its a long O. Hope you have a great evening!
Love the combo name! Hope she is successful – I have to make sure I have “natural” soaps around for one of my great-granddaughters.
I have to hand it to you – making your own natural products. Did you make the washcloth, also? Do you recommend certain types for a type of skin or can all of the products be used with whatever skin type you have? I enjoy using natural soaps, especially those that contain the herb lavender. I sure would enjoy winning the soap and washcloth. Good luck with your venture!
My wife would love it. She is constantly trying something else because the last thing was too harsh, didn’t feel good, didn’t smell right, etc.
My eldest son would make lye soap with his Grandma when he was in middle school. Still have the recipe and old kettle. As we still have a few bars left, we save them for washing off after exposure or suspected exposure to poison ivy. Grandma said it worked for that and we have always had good results. I am particularly sensitive to that nasty poison.
You all have my concern and prayers in regard to your wild fires. My visit to the Smokey Mts. and Southwestern NC was on my Bucket List and I visited in 2015. Loved every minute and know that I would cry if I were at Clingman’s Dome today.
I love anything homemade or crafted! May your adventure be blessed. I would love to win this nice prize.
Does Miss Chatter have a line of soap with sand in it for us menfolk who like to get our hands dirty? Something that removes axle grease or worser yet black walnut stain?
Tipper,
I sure hope Chatter does well with her new adventure. I don’t hardly know how to pronounce her trade, but I’ll check out my granddaughters to see what they think. One time when you all were over here, I had just purchased some ‘good smellin’ soap from a girl in Nantahala. Rachelle use to be on here alot. Anyhow, when I gave Chitter and Chatter a bar each, those big brown eyes smiled so pretty. The only thing I knew was Goat’s Milk in the ingredients. Chatter will go far in her trade and she has gotten great reviews of her skin products. …Ken
For those that don’t know. Our many of our precious East Tennessee mountain resorts in Sevier County and Gatlinburg has been devastated by wildfire. The high winds in the mountains last night contributed to enhancing the wildfires and moved them rapidly into occupied areas In the meantime, firefighters and law enforcement moved as fast as they could to evacuate Gatlinburg and mountain cabin areas. Many homes and businesses lost. Many places where I grew up and watched change and traveled through in my 76 years damaged or destroyed by the fire. I am just sick over the loss of Arrowmont School of Art and Craft.
Keep all these folks in your prayers!
What a great idea to offer all-natural products at affordable prices! Will spread the word with family and friends. Way to go Corie!
I would love to try out the home made soap. I can remember as a child watching my mother and grand mother making soap on an open fire. The story of how the shop got its name was very interesting.
I’m anxious to try some of the soap. We have a gift shop in our town that sells home-made goods and their products are wonderful. I had a funny experience with their blackberry soap. When you used it, it left little black seeds in the tub! The soap was great, through, and smelled like blackberries.
The story of Corie’s company name is cute as heck! But when I first saw the name I assumed Corie had combined the words apothecary and cornucopia to denominate a medicinal ‘horn of plenty’. Which would have been brilliant! Which Corie is! So you see
the confused conclusion at which I arrived was perfectly ‘natural’…..like Corie’s product line.
Great! She has gone to so much trouble to research and make a chemical free product. I need to do some shopping there for a granddaughter who is “picky.”
I am surprised that the idiots at the FDA haven’t swooped in with a raiding party and locked everyone in the house up. I’ll bet that you don’t even have unisex-handicapped bathrooms, a posted fire escape plan, business permit, pay minimum wage or comply with all of the other wonderful laws that protect us from young ladies attempting to start a business. Bah Humbug, just getting into the Christmas spirit. Go girl!!!!
Is Copie pronounced with a long or short o?
I would love to try Corie’s soap! I make lye soap and use essential oils to scent it, but am always interested in other people’s handmade products! Thank you for the chance to win!
Hope y’all are not going to have issues with the fires in Eastern Tennessee. Marylou
My grandmother used to make lye soap, and before she died, she gave me the recipe. I applaud Corie for researching and making natural products. It’s a mountain thing to be thrifty and resourceful.
What a great idea! I love homemade, all natural products for the skin. Wishing Chatter all the best.
It would be great to have a sample to try. I’ve been thinking about ordering some products for my teenage granddaughters. One is in Color Guard and they are required to wear this heavy theatrical make-up during performances which is really doing a number on her skin. Wonder what Chatter/Corie/Copie would recommend her?
My daughter used to make soap and lotion for her family with sensitive skin. She hasn’t done that for awhile since some of the kids outgrew their skin issues. I will be anxious to try Copie’s fancy sounding soap without fancy ingredients.
I love the story! (That is why I’ve turned off auto correct on my phone.) What a marvel that the girls enjoy so many diverse interests and follow through on what they believe in. I struggle with roascea and would love to try Chitter’s all natural products. Thank you all for being so generous with your words, music and gifts.
I love home made products! I’m heading over to check out her things!
I treat myself to handmade soap now and then, so winning a “Copie” soap would be very special!
I remember the awful smelling soap my grandmother made. It worked well but also nearly took my skin off. We were so glad when Ivory {for me and mother} and Lifebouy }{for Dad and my brother] came along.
They smelled so good but grammy still kept one or two of her soaps for emergencies like pine tar. Her soap did great on that.
Tell Copie I would love to try her soap.
Love the Nehi bottle. Homemade soap is the best. It is so good to see the younger generation learning these skills .Barbara
Tipper, you have great girls. Apothecopie is a great idea. Your girls and their entrepreneurial spirit is proof positive that good, old fashion, no nonsense, mountain common sense can solve the stickiest problems and our old ways are the way forward. And both make a great business model!
Way to go Chatter. You and your sister are great Appalachian role models.
Probably too late for me to do much about my skin, but I woud like to have a bar of soap. It sounds like a great idea to sell reasonaby priced natural products. Copie may be on her way to her first milion $. Also like the old Nehi bottle, but not sure what he has to do with tne soap.
Copie’s soap is the best! I’ve used a lot of home made soap and Copie’s leaves my skin feeling the best and I like that her contents are sustainable. That’s important in this age of no respect for the earth.
I also love having a deodorant that works that is not full of chemicals!
Go Copie!
I love handmade soaps. Also the Copie story. My phone has taken to making names into email addresses.
Hopping over to see what “Copie” has. We love handmade/homemade soaps.